Course | Shifting the Balance: The Online Classes (K-2)

Prices

The price listed reflects the regular price. Other pricing options are available:

• Limited Time Early Bird - $299
• A payment plan is also available at 4 monthly payments of $86

If you would like to take the course for graduate credit, you must complete a separate registration through the NDSU website which can be accessed from The Six Shifts webpage. Graduate credit requires an additional $100 fee, consisting of a $50 grading fee and a $50 recording fee.

For further information, please visit The Six Shifts website.

Date

September 21 – November 1, 2026
(With access through December 13, 2026)

Meet Your Instructors

Jan Burkins and Kari Yates are the founders of TheSixShifts.com, a website designed to support busy educators. They offer professional books, online classes, and other products that will make learning to read easier – not harder – for your students.

Jan and Kari wrote the first Shifting the Balance book for teachers of beginning readers of any age (although the examples in this book are written with the K-2 classroom in mind). They are also the instructors of Shifting the Balance: The Online Class 1.

To bring a second Shifting the Balance book to educators, Jan and Kari were excited to work with Katie Egan Cunningham. This book was written for teachers of students in the upper elementary grades or any teacher who supports children beyond the beginning stages of reading. The examples in this book, and in the corresponding online class, were developed with 3-5 classrooms in mind.

Jan, Kari, and Katie are all experienced educators and consultants. They have deep roots in elementary education and share a passion for supporting students (and their teachers) in all stages of reading and writing development by providing professional learning experiences and teacher tools. Both the books and the online classes are designed to help you make decisions about which common practices might need revision in light of reading science so that you can make learning to read easier for your students.

Class 1 (K–2): How to Get Readers Off to a Strong Start

Start here if you teach K-2 students or if you teach upper elementary grades and want to understand how to help students who are having difficulty learning to read. This class includes 6 practical, research-informed modules:

• Shift 1: Rethinking How Reading Comprehension Begins
• Shift 2: Recommitting to Phonemic Awareness Instruction
• Shift 3: Reimagining the Way We Teach Phonics
• Shift 4: Revisiting High-Frequency Word Instruction
• Shift 5: Reinventing the Ways We Use MSV (3 Cueing Systems)
• Shift 6: Reconsidering Text Selection for Beginning Readers

What You'll Learn

This class is grounded in science but focused on practice. You’ll walk away with clarity, confidence, and tools you can apply the very next day.

• What the science really says about beginning reading instruction
• How to teach decoding without creating “word callers”
• The truth about sight words and how the brain stores them
• Strategies to make foundational skills stick and support comprehension
• Choosing the right texts — yes, even decodables!
• And much more!

This Course is for You If:

• You’re a teacher, coach, or leader working to make sense of the evolving conversation about reading — without feeling like you have to abandon everything that’s worked.
• You’ve picked up some pieces of reading science but need help connecting the dots in real, practical ways.
• You’re open to rethinking, even if it means facing a little discomfort — because what matters most is doing what’s best for your students.
• You want classroom practices that are both science-aligned and responsive — and you’re looking for a path that makes it all feel doable.
• You’re busy. You don’t have time to read every book or paper. But you still want to understand what the research says — and how to use it.
• You don’t want extremes. You just want honest, grounded, effective reading instruction.
• That’s exactly why we made these classes — to give you tools that work, grounded in research, filled with heart, and designed for real classroom.

This class is for educators who support beginning and developing readers — especially those who may not have gotten off to a strong start. Thousands of teachers, coaches, and school leaders have already taken these courses to guide real, lasting shifts in their instruction.

• Classroom teachers
• Reading interventionists
• Special education teachers
• Instructional coaches
• Building Principals
• Curriculum and staff development leaders
• District administrators

What You'll Get

Everything you need to bridge research and practice — on your own schedule.

• A 6-Week Course with 6 Learning Modules
• 6 bonus weeks of 24/7 access
• Complete shift-by-shift guidebook for bridging research to action
• Video, audio, PDF tools and more
• Closed Captioning Available on all Videos
• 1 Live Q & A and Connection Session with the authors via Zoom
• Flexibility to learn at your own pace and when it fits into your busy schedule.
• Certificate of Completion for 24 CEU hours
• 100% Money-Back Guarantee

100% Money-Back Guarantee

The Six Shifts wants every educator who joins their class to feel supported, empowered, and satisfied.
If you complete the first two modules — and decide it’s not what you expected — The Six Shifts will give you a full refund. No hassle, no hard feelings.

Here’s how it works:
• Complete Modules 1 and 2
• Decide before beginning Module 3
• Email us with your feedback within 30 days of your course start date
• The Six Shifts will refund your full purchase price

It’s that simple. You deserve professional learning that works for you.
No stress. No risk. Just real, supportive learning.

Bring This Learning to Your Whole School or District

Want to create lasting literacy change across classrooms? The Six Shifts offers flexible, high-impact online classes built to support teams at every stage of the journey — whether you’re just getting started or working to deepen implementation.

Each custom package includes:
• A private class cohort for your team (20+ participants)
• Flexible start and end dates, with up to 6 months of access
• Six learning modules (video + downloadable tools)
• License to use content in PLCs, team meetings, and more
• Leadership consultation to support your rollout
• Access to pre-scheduled Q&A sessions (or optional private Q&A with Jan or Kari)

Small school or group? The Six Shifts offers options for groups under 20 as well. To learn more, please visit The Six Shifts website.